The present invention relates to a discharge method and device for discharging a liquid mass which has a certain flowability.
And, the present invention relates to an electro optical device such as a liquid crystal device, an electroluminescent device, an electrical migration device, an electron emission device or a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) device or the like, to a method of manufacture of an electro optical device for manufacturing such an electro optical device, and to a device for manufacturing the same. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a color filter which is used in an electro optical device, and to a method of manufacture of such a color filter and to a device for manufacturing the same. Yet further, the present invention relates to a device which comprises a backing such as an electro optical member, a semiconductor device, an optical member, a reagent inspection member or the like, and to a method of manufacture of such a device which comprises such a backing and to a device for manufacturing the same.
In recent years display devices which are so called electro optical devices, such as liquid crystal devices and electroluminescent devices and the like, have become widespread as display sections for electronic devices such as portable telephones, portable computers and the like. Furthermore, recently, it has become common to provide a full color display upon such a display device. A full color display upon such a liquid crystal device is provided, for example, by passing light which has been modulated by a liquid crystal layer through a color filter. And such a color filter is made by arranging filter elements of various colors such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) in dot form upon the surface of a substrate plate which is made from, for example, glass or plastic or the like in a predetermined array configuration such as a so called stripe array, delta array, or mosaic array or the like.
Furthermore, a full color display upon such an electroluminescent device is provided by, for example, arranging electroluminescent layers of various colors such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) in dot form upon the surface of a substrate plate which is made from, for example, glass or plastic or the like in a predetermined array configuration such as a so called stripe array, delta array, or mosaic array or the like, and sandwiching these electroluminescent layers between pairs of electrodes so as to form picture elements (pixels). And, by controlling the voltage which is applied between these electrodes for each picture element pixel, a full color display is provided by causing light of the desired colors to be emitted from these picture elements.
In the past, there has been a per se known method of using photolithography when patterning the filter elements of a color filter of various colors such as R, G, and B, or when patterning the picture elements of an electroluminescent device of various colors such as R, G, and B. However there are certain problems when using this photolithography method, such as the fact that the process is complicated, the fact that large quantities of the color material or the photoresist are consumed, the fact that the cost becomes high, and the like.
In order to solve this problem, a method has been contemplated of forming a filament or an electroluminescent layer or the like as a dot form array by discharging in dot form a filter element material or an electroluminescent material by an ink jet method.
Now, a method of making a filament or an electroluminescent layer or the like as a dot form array by an ink jet method will be explained. The case will be considered in which, as shown in FIG. 29(a), a plurality of filter elements 303 which are arrayed in dot form are formed, based upon an ink jet method, upon the internal regions of a plurality of panel regions 302 shown in FIG. 29(b) which are established upon the surface of a so called motherboard 301 which is a substrate plate of relatively large area which is made from glass, plastic or the like. In this case, as for example shown in FIG. 29(c), while performing a plurality of episodes of main scanning (in FIG. 29, two episodes) for a single panel region 302, as shown by the arrow signs A1 and A2 in FIG. 29(b), with an ink jet head which has a plurality of nozzles 304 which are arranged in a linear array so as to constitute a nozzle row 305, filter elements 303 are formed in the desired positions by discharging ink, i.e. filter material, selectively from this plurality of nozzles during these main scanning episodes.
These filter elements 303 are ones which are formed by arraying various colors such as R, G, and B and the like as described above in a suitable array form such as a so called stripe array, delta array, or mosaic array or the like. Due to this, in the ink discharge processing by the ink jet head 306 shown in FIG. 29(b), ink jet heads 306 for just the three colors R, G, and B are provided in advance, so as to discharge the single colors R, G, and B. And a three color array including R, G, and B or the like is formed upon the single motherboard 301 by using these ink jet heads 306 in order.
On the other hand, if a plurality of panel regions 302 are formed upon the motherboard 301, then it has been contemplated to form the filter element 303 at high efficiency by using an ink jet head of elongated form so that the ink jet head is positioned along substantially the entire extent of the widthwise dimension of the motherboard 301, which constitutes its widthwise direction with respect to the main scanning direction of the ink jet head. However there is the problem that, if a motherboard 301 is utilized whose size is different from and does not correspond to the size of the panel regions 302, every time this happens, a different ink jet head comes to be required, and accordingly the cost is increased.
Because the ink jet head has a mechanism in which ink is pressurized by a pressing means, for instance a piezo electric crystal, it is necessary wirings through which signal to drive the piezo electric crystal passes. According to the above necessity, a head device which comprises a board on which a ink jet head and a connector by which a circuit for driving the ink jet head are integrally mounted is utilized.
However, it is necessary to consider a working efficiency in wiring the ink jet heads, a layout of the head devices so as to obtain a desired print pattern, and an noise prevention in designing an arrangement of the head devices.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above described considerations, and its objective is to provide: a liquid drop discharge device and a discharge method which are prevented from being influenced by an electrical noise and are easy in a construction, a electro optical device, a method and device of manufacture thereof, a color filter, a method and device of manufacture thereof, a device incorporating backing, a method and device of manufacture thereof.
(1) A discharge device according to the present invention proposes a plurality of discharge means each of which comprises a liquid drop discharge head provided with nozzles which discharge liquid mass having a certain flowability onto an object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged, a mounting board on which the liquid drop discharge head is mounted, and a connector which is arranged on the mounting board, a holding means on which the plurality of discharge means are arranged; and a shifting means for relatively shifting at least one of this holding means and the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged. According to an aspect of the present invention, the plurality of discharge means are aligned to be separated into groups of discharge means and the discharge means in one of the groups are orientated so that their connectors do not face the discharge means in the other of the groups, and so as to orientate a plane, on which the nozzles of the liquid drop discharge heads are aligned, to face a surface of the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged at a predetermined distance.
With the present invention having the above structure, because the plurality of discharge means, which comprise the liquid drop discharge heads and connectors on the mounting board, are arranged on holding means, it becomes to be easier to compose the discharge device, and the productivity of manufacturing the discharge device increases. Because the connectors of one the groups do not face the discharge means in the other of the groups, a portion of the mounting board of one of the groups on which the connectors are arranged is orientated to an outer side of the mounting board where opposes to the liquid drop discharge head of the other of the groups, and therefore an efficiency of wiring to the connectors increases. According to the discharge means thus wired, because a mutual influence among the electrical noise from the connectors is prevented, the discharge of the liquid mass is stabilized.
It is desirable for the discharge means of the present invention to form the mounting board in a rectangular shape and also to provide a liquid drop discharge head in one longitudinal end of the mounting board and a connector in another longitudinal end of the mounting board. Due to the above construction, it becomes easier to layout the plurality of discharge means so that the portion on which the connectors of one of the groups are arranged does not face to the discharge means of the other of the groups and directs outer side which opposes to a direction to face to the liquid drop discharge head of the other of the groups. And therefore the discharge device is in a state in which the connecters of one of the groups are apart from the discharge heads of the other of the groups and an efficiency for wiring the connectors and a working rate for wiring the connectors increase.
It is desirable for the discharge means of one of the groups, which is orientated so that the portion in which the connectors are arranged does not face to the discharge means of the other of the groups, to be arranged so that the discharge means of one of the groups are arranged point symmetrically with the discharge means of the other of the groups. Due to the above construction, the connectors of the one of the groups are located in a position which is farthest from the connectors of the other of the groups, which are arranged point symmetrically with the other of the groups, and therefore, a efficiency of wiring increases and influences of electrical noise decrease.
It is desirable for the discharge means to further comprise a liquid supplying means which supplies liquid mass to the discharge means, the liquid supplying means connects a supply tube from positions between the groups of discharge means to each of the discharge means in each group of discharge means so as to supply the liquid mass to each of the discharge means. Due to the above constructions, the liquid mass is supplied through the supply tube from the positions between the groups of discharge means to each of the discharge means, and the supply tubes through which the liquid mass flows are combined as a single line in an intermediate position of the each tubes. Therefore an efficiency of piping for the tubes and an efficiency of a maintenance thereof increase. Further, a displacement and a damage of the tubes due to an interference among the one of the tubes and other of the tubes.
It is desirable for the liquid supplying means to comprise a tank which stores the liquid mass, a supplying tube through which the liquid mass flows, a pump which supplies the liquid mass in the tank to the liquid drop discharge head of the liquid discharge means through the supply tube, a plurality of the supply tubes are provided for each of the liquid drop discharge heads and which piping paths are located from positions between the groups of discharge means to each of the discharge means. Because the supplying tubes through which the liquid mass flows are located from positions between the groups of discharge means to each of the discharge means, in a piping by which the liquid is distributed, a flow resistance in one of the supplying tubes equals to the other of the supplying tubes. A discharge rate of one of the supplying tubes equals to a discharge rate of the other of the supplying tubes which dimensions are same as one of the supplying tubes. Because a commonly discharge is established by supplying tubes having same dimensions, a productivity of the discharge device increases.
It is desirable for the discharge device to comprise a plurality of wirings which connects a control means to the connectors of the discharge means, wherein the plurality of wirings are wired from an outer periphery of the holding means to the connectors. Because the plurality of wirings are wired from an outer periphery of the holding means to the connectors, influences of one of the wirings to the other are prevented, and it is possible to stably discharge the liquid mass.
It is desirable for the discharge device to comprise a plurality of discharge heads which are aligned along a plurality of lines which intersect to a direction along which the liquid drop discharge heads are shifted relative to the surface of the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged. According to such a structure, the liquid drop discharge heads are arranged so that the liquid drop discharge heads are inclined with respect to a direction along which the liquid drop discharge means are shifted in order to set the pitch, i.e. the interval, between the nozzles relative to the pitch at which the liquid mass is discharged, and an interference between various one of the discharge means to the other of the discharge means next to the various one of the discharge means is prevented. Therefore, a productivity of the discharge device increases and an influence of an electric noise is prevented.
(2) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture an electro optical device by forming an electro-luminescent layer by, with the liquid mass which is to be discharged being a liquid mass which includes an electro-luminescent material, discharging this liquid mass against, as the object against which liquid drops are to be discharged, a substrate plate.
(3) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture a color filter which is an electro optical device by, with the liquid mass which is to be discharged being a liquid mass which includes a color filter material, discharging this liquid mass against, as the object against which liquid drops are to be discharged, one of a pair of substrate plates between which a liquid crystal is to be sandwiched.
(4) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture color filters of various colors by, with the liquid mass which is to be discharged being a liquid mass which includes a color filter material, discharging this liquid mass against a substrate as the object against which liquid drops are to be discharged.
(5) With the present invention, it is convenient to manufacture a device which comprises a backing, wherein a predetermined layer is formed upon the backing by discharging a liquid mass which is endowed with a certain flowability against the backing, which is the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged, by a discharge method of one of the types described above.
According to the present invention, the discharge means, comprising the liquid drop discharge heads and the connectors being arranged on the mounting board, are separated into the groups and mounting board is orientated so that the portion the on which the connectors of one of the groups are arranged does not face to the discharge means of the other of the groups, and the liquid drop discharge head is shifted relative to the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged while a plane in which the nozzles are aligned lays along the surface of the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged so as to discharge the liquid mass to the object onto which liquid drops are to be discharged, therefore, it is possible to construct the discharge means easier compared with respectively constructing the plurality of liquid drop discharge means with corresponding connectors and also possible to increase a manufacturing efficiency. And the mounting board is orientated so that the portion on which the connectors of one of the groups are arranged does not face to the discharge means of the other of the groups, and the portion on which the connectors are arranged is orientated so that the portion faces to the outer periphery of the mounting board which is opposite with the liquid drop discharge head, and therefore, it is possible to easily wire the connectors and also to increase a manufacturing efficiency. Further, by the connectors thus arranged in the discharge means it is possible to prevent a noise from one of the connectors which influences to the other of the connector and also possible to stably discharge the liquid mass.